You can always rely on Nintendo to enter a new market in the most esoteric way imaginable, and we got a great example of this today with the news that the next Labo kit is going to be based around VR. After the failure of the Virtual Boy, and repeated claims that it would only enter this exciting emerging sector when it made sense and the odd rumour, the Kyoto veteran has staked its claim to immersive gaming in the most 'Nintendo' way possible – by making 'simple and shareable' VR experiences part of its Labo cardboard DIY range, a Switch-based sub-brand built around experimentation and the joy of discovery.

While some will be disappointed that Nintendo hasn't created a 'proper' headset, it's a good fit for the Labo ethos, and could potentially be a game-changer for the company and VR in general – or, as we'll discuss, it could be the total opposite.

Let's examine the positives first.

Pro: It's A Great Entry Point For VR Newbs

It's long been said that VR won't be truly mainstream until it reaches a mass-market price point, and while the cost of owning headsets like PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive has dropped over time, they're still expensive propositions. Even the more affordable options – such as Samsung's underappreciated Gear VR or Google's DayDream View – require you to own a compatible smartphone that's quite expensive on its own.

Labo VR changes that to a degree; Nintendo is offering a low-cost entry point (although you'll still need a Switch, obviously) which will appeal to those Nintendo fans who have yet to try any other VR headsets. The full set is $80, but for a more reasonable $40 you can pick up a pack with the headset and one VR Toy-Con kit, which represents pretty good value for money. With the cost barrier diminished, a lot of people who've been on the fence about VR could well take the plunge, and that could potentially lead to them investing in other, more capable headsets further down the line. Plus: look ma, no wires!

Just as you could argue that devices like the Game Boy and Nintendo DS paved the way for the acceptance of more advanced portable gadgets, Labo VR could be the key that unlocks the door of virtual reality for millions of newcomers. The fact that it's not 'worn' like a typical headset might sound like a negative, but it ties in with Nintendo's desire to make VR a more shared experience than it is currently; instead of one person playing while others get bored, the 'simple' games can be passed around the room.

When you look at the install base of other VR headsets (PSVR has sold over 3 million units in two-and-a-half years, for example), it's not a massive stretch to say that the Labo VR kit – between its two SKUs – could actually outsell that, if the product catches on with the ever-growing Switch userbase.

Pro: Nintendo Will Offer Amazing VR Experiences

Even if it doesn't always have the most advanced technology, you can rely on Nintendo to create engaging and enjoyable gameplay experiences. The company's reputation is built on crafting playable and accessible games, and we can't see any reason why that would be different with Labo VR.

Sure, these are likely to be limited in scope when compared to VR games on other platforms – don't go expecting to play a Mario Kart 8-style experience in virtual reality – but with a tight focus and clever design, the mini-games included in this new kit could overcome the inherent limitations of the technology. If Nintendo nails this side of things – and we wouldn't bet against it – then it could prove to be a vital selling point for VR as a whole, opening the eyes of a whole new audience to the potential of immersive gaming.

Pro: It Opens Up The Market For Developers

While Labo VR is going to be a self-contained product rather than an all-new accessory for Switch, there is scope for developers to include the kit in their games – as we saw with Deemo, which was updated to support the Labo Piano Toy-Con. While plenty of studios are now operating in the VR space, there are many smaller devs which haven't taken the plunge yet – and Labo VR could offer the perfect entry point for them, just as it could for gamers.

Experiments in the Labo 'Garage' environment could spark new ideas among eShop developers, invigorating a whole new sector of designers. While we'd advise against getting too excited about a potential flood of third-party Labo VR releases, it's just as foolish to say that the games you get in the kit will be the be-all and end-all.

With 3 million units sold since 2016, PlayStation VR is one of the most successful examples of the tech, and is backed by some amazing gameplay experiences. Can Labo VR hope to match it?

Now let's look at the potential negatives.

Con: It Could 'Poison The Well' For VR

The timing of Nintendo's move into VR is interesting, as Blake J. Harris – author of the excellent Console Wars – has just released his next book, The History of the Future, which focuses on the creation of Oculus, the company which many people credit with kickstarting the recent renewed interest in VR. What's truly striking when you read the book is just how hard it was to develop and design a headset that ticks all of the right boxes; not only had the tech industry been trying to perfect VR off and on for the past few decades, it took Palmer Luckey and his team at Oculus months of hard work, millions of dollars and a generous helping of outside assistance to really nail the magic of virtual reality. This is not a market you simply walk into with little more than a cardboard pair of goggles.

Taking that into account, how good an experience is a headset attached to a device with a 720p display really going to be? With VR, you have to take into account screen resolution (which is halved across both eyes), frame rate (low rates make you feel sick), latency (if screens don't refresh fast enough you also feel sick) and much more besides. Can Labo VR really provide an experience which matches the best VR has to offer in 2019? It's highly, highly unlikely, and if Nintendo fumbles this, it could contribute massively to a negative public impression of the whole VR concept.

Con: The Tech Really Isn't Up To The Job

On paper, the Switch seems like a good fit for an entry-level VR device. The console has a 6-axis inertial measurement unit so it can handle head movement, and the Joy-Con are equally well-suited as (very basic) VR input devices. When you consider how decent VR experiences are on the Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View – both of which adopt a similar approach – it's tempting to get excited about Labo VR, but there's one big issue: the screen.

The Switch's display packs in 1280×720 pixels, while the Samsung Galaxy 9 Plus – the newest phone to be compatible with the most recent Gear VR headset – offers four times that amount of pixels thanks to its 2960×1440 resolution. Even then, it's easy to pick out individual pixels on the Gear VR, just as it is when using Sony's PlayStation VR, which contains a 1080p OLED screen.

Simply put, things are going to look awful blocky on the Labo VR, because a 720p screen shared equally between two eyeballs really isn't up to the job; when you add in the fact that high-latency LCD panels lack the 'low persistence' of the OLEDs found in pretty much every decent headset (LCD screens traditionally introduce an unpleasant ghosting effect with rapid movement), it becomes harder than ever to get enthused about Nintendo's approach.

Samsung's Gear VR headset led the charge for smartphone-based VR, but has struggled to hold onto its market share in recent months. Labo VR will probably similar in terms of overall experience

Then there's the issue of processing power; headsets like PSVR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive all rely on external systems to provide the grunt – systems which are more powerful than the Switch. A comparison with smartphone-based headsets would be closer to the mark, and while there are some great 3D games available (Gunjack VR being one notable example), the vast majority of 'experiences' available are based on pre-recorded, 360-degree video, and not real-time gameplay. What we'd get on Switch would presumably be even more primitive, given that the tech inside the console is a few years behind what we're seeing in modern smartphones – although Nintendo is very good at extracting as much performance as possible from humble hardware, so you never know.

Also, the lack of positional tracking – a key feature on the leading headsets on the market – means you lose a degree of immersion as the hardware can only accurately track your head's rotation, and not its position in space. This isn't much of an issue if you're creating a gaming experience where all you're doing is looking around, but titles like Astro Bot Rescue Mission on PSVR prove the worth of positional tracking beyond all doubt.

Labo VR: A Blessing Or A Curse?

While VR is certainly a growing sector, it hasn't quite hit the mainstream yet; the best headsets cost too much and – at the time of writing, at least – are tethered to consoles or PCs via cables, which take some of the immersion away. Really good VR also requires you to clear a lot of space in your living room and the setup process will, for some families, be too awkward and annoying, at least with the current technology. In short, there's a golden opportunity for a company like Nintendo to step in and clean up with a cheap, mass-market proposition that is cable-free and bundled with some engaging gameplay experiences.

Is Labo VR that proposition? It's hard to say until we've actually played the thing, but it has potential. Sure, it's going to look hopelessly primitive when compared to other VR headsets, but as a jumping-off point for VR novices, it could serve a vital gateway and could enlighten millions to the raw potential of virtual reality. Who's to say that someone who takes a punt on Labo VR won't later be emboldened to snap up a PSVR for their PS4, or even an Oculus Rift? Nintendo doesn't necessarily need to dominate the VR market with Labo (and we're not sure it ever could) for it to be considered a success; if it sells as well as the other Labo kits, then it will be a worthwhile exercise for the firm, and the experience could well lead to other, more impressive VR ventures in the future. And besides, if all it does is create more VR true believers, then it will have had a positive benefit on the industry as a whole.

However, those who have been keenly following the fluctuating fortunes of VR for the past few decades might be concerned that a poor user experience with Labo VR could give millions of potential converts the wrong impression; if this is your first taste of virtual reality, then you're almost certainly not going to be getting the best modern VR can offer: a low-resolution (and high latency) screen, no positional tracking and – lest we forget – you have to hold the bloody thing to your face, rather than 'wear' it. Depending on what your expectations are, Labo VR could either be an eye-opening gateway drug or a bitter pill which turns you off virtual reality forever.

Damien has over a decade of professional writing experience under his belt, as well as a repulsively hairy belly. Rumours that he turned down a role in The Hobbit to work on Nintendo Life are, to the best of our knowledge, completely and utterly unfounded.

This feels like a market test. I think it'll be ignored by most enthusiasts, and amuse mainstream people for a short time. Could be the precursor to something more robust if a Switch Pro or Switch Mini is in the cards.

Nintendo isn't marketing this as a premium VR experience though. All the marketing shows kids or teens, and the price point is only $40. If anything, this could introduce VR to a huge new audience and make it more mainstream.

Uhhhh... They wouldn't be releasing this product if they were implementing it in a way that overtaxed the Switch, its capabilities, and the user experience, right? They rushed the Virtual Boy out the door and paid for it. I would THINK that they wouldn't throw their hat into the arena again unless it was in a form they were confident in.

If they make Pokémon Snap 2 using this, I personally just won't have a choice. That said, I may buy a much better third-party interface to replace the cardboard system holster and loopy camera (or just make it myself).

Honestly, I don't know if the VR kit is specifically going to be Nintendo's gateway into mainstream VR, but it lays down the groundwork. I plan to pick the starter kit to hold me over till June, at least.

Great article, great points. I for one will hold off, but keep my ear to the ground for any surprise announcements down the line of real games providing support. I'll pay $40 for a 360p Zelda BOTW VR experience, for sure.

Looks like kid's entertainment to me. Harmless fun. Please don't over think this. It's not going to be cutting edge tech. It's going to be a showcase for Nintendo's imagination. I doubt this will work for folk with one eye...so it's not for me anyhoo.

If it doesn't have a strap to attach it to your head it won't be able to work with other games that well. How uncomfortable it would be to having to hold it close to you all the time while you play with the joycons a couple of inches away from your face.

I would try this if they made other games available or compatible with the goggles, like Job Simulator. But they won't. It'll just be a slew of five minute proprietary mini-games you'll only play once.

"The Switch's display packs in 1280×720 pixels, while the Samsung Galaxy 9 Plus – the newest phone to be compatible with the most recent Gear VR headset – offers twice that amount of pixels thanks to its 2960×1440 resolution."

I am curious about what Nintendo are going to come up with but let's face facts, the hardware simply isn't up to the task of any complicated games in VR. The resolution is far too low, @Damo has made a calculation error in the resolution compared with the S9 as it's over 4x as many pixels (multiply each axis). The processing power isn't really there either to get big games at 60 or ideally 90fps (There's a reason why PS4 has that processing unit) and do it once for each eye. Then you have the issue of having to actually hold it to your head rendering any meaningful controller input near impossible.

Having said all of that I'm still curious as Nintendo has some great potential for small experiences such as a Pokemon Snap and I may pick one up, at least building it would be fun and im sure kids will have a great time playing with these and maybe it'll lead to something more meaningful in future.

When Nintendo does something weird, their fans will usually at least give it a chance. I'm hoping this will be some people's gateway drug into VR. The amount of people who have decided that VR is shit without having ever worn a headset is great. If this reduces that number, I'd consider it successful.

@BetaWolf Good point. This can simply be viewed as offering a different experience than looking at the TV or handheld. Maybe some folks will like it and look into the other VR options. So far, this has in no way been trotted out like it’s a new way to play blockbuster titles, yet everyone is already leaning like it was. Then they poo on it because it isn’t, or because it’s not the VR they wanted.
It boils down to the fact that consumers (especially on the internet) always want a company to do something new, but not a new thing they aren’t interested in.
You’d think someone ran over some of y’alls systems with a steamroller here.

To be honest, I'm just happy Nintendo is getting into VR now at all. Surely this means that the future of VR is going to include Nintendo proper at some point. And, for anyone that's experienced proper VR and knows fine well where it's going, they know we are on the cusp of something great. Think what Nintendo did with its first 3D games on SNES like Star Fox and Stunt Race FX as compared to where it's at with 3D games now, and then just imagine as big a jump happening with its contributions to VR in a gen or two, maybe even a bigger, and it should seriously be very hard not to be extremely excited about what's coming. I can't wait to see what Nintendo does when it fully embraces VR--which I''m more sure now is eventually happening than ever.

Presently VR is a niche market. This is mostly because no one experienced it when they were children. Nintendo's marketing here is clearly aimed at the preteen crowd. If they are successful in in starting these kids on VR while they are young, perhaps VR will be a common thing in 20 years or so.

Also can I point out that like for many this is the first time I've been seriously interested in buying anything LABO. That's a big shift. I expect this to sell like hot cakes outside a weed shop. I had written off LABO but LABO may be just beginning to take off.

"...if Nintendo fumbles this, it could contribute massively to a negative public impression of the whole VR concept."

If the VR market is so fragile that a $40 Labo Cardboard VR Kit can singlehandedly result in a "negative public perception", then there are much bigger concerns for this market segment outside of Nintendo Labo.

Theory: this is being thrown out so they can write off the concept and ignore the contingent inside the company that have been been wanting 3D/VR for so long despite it having destructive results for them.

@PharoneTheGnome I don't smell a lawsuit, because clearly Nintendo covers their bases. Most US products contain a california warning saying the item will cause cancer. The products are still advertised.

PS4 pro struggles with VR as is. And any hiccups make it a bad experience. Anybody who has played Moss or Astrobots understands what Nintendo could do with VR. But there’s just no way they can pull it off with the Switch. It might be a simple introduction to VR for kids.

I still haven't gotten around to trying virtual reality myself, but I don't think I would start with a Nintendo Labo kit. I actually think that if I was given the opportunity to try it at a special event, I would be pretty excited for this. I guess I should have taken the opportunity to try some Skyrim VR a couple years ago when I was at E3. One positive aspect to mention about VR is that a few years ago I had no interest at all in the product, but ever since I have been watching some of my favorite Youtubers play various games with the devices, it has gotten me eager to try it myself.

If they did a VR Pokemon Snap I would buy this. That's probably the only thing that would get me to bite.

Also fun fact about the Virtual Boy, it actually was more helpful than harmful when they did research on it. They had the disclaimer on the box because they rushed it into production and didnt have those test results yet.

My Brother got all of us Google Cardboard ages ago. I tried it for a bit and his 3 kids barely. This low tech concept is better for AR+ than VR

Last Christmas - The 2 youngest asked for Pokemon Lets Go. "The Teenager" (god helps us all 🤣😅) for a PS4 Pro (her fist non Nintendo system) Not a single kid had LABO on their list in my extended family - not 1.

@Mountain_Man Gunpei Yokoi didn't intend to release it in the form we eventually saw it (he said it was a proof-of-concept prototype), and the incoming Nintendo 64 was given priority in development resources toward the end of the VB's four-year development cycle. I'd say that counts as "rushing to market".

@Scapetti they won't destroy any market or competitor. If anything they will boost the VR scene as it is already a failing scene. Millions of dollars invested in it and they Oculus alone hasn't broke even with all the VR systems in the world out there let alone all the other companies and what they invested. VR is still far far away from being actually feasible as a actual VR system. Right now it is nothing but a fad that has died just as fast as it came out.

@Dirty0814 aren't they contributing to the idea of it being a fad? I don't know how successful labo has been... I kind of hope they do destroy VR. They are doing it in the least risky way possible, while also inspiring children to improve on the technology when they grow up. Win-win

ALL of the Labo VR Kit attachments are actually seen working in the very first Labo trailer:

Nintendo showed us Switch [Labo] VR before we even knew it--it just slyly hid the VR part from us!

And this means Reggie and any other other Nintendo employees asked about VR in interviews already new fine well it was coming in the very near future too--even when they said something that totally suggested otherwise.

Also, this suggests we've basically seen everything Nintendo had/has planed for Labo now (since all the Kits were in fact shown in the very first video). So, unless Nintendo has designed a new range in the meantime, there may not be anymore Kits after the VR one.

I dont think it's anywhere near being the worst idea. Its low risk, low cost, high potential gain. It gives consumers a low cost entry to test VR with some small experiences made by Nintendo, and for relatively low expense.

I dont think its gonna set the world on fire. But bad idea? Hardly. Worst idea in years? You've clearly forgotten what transpired the last half decade during the Wii U era.

I'm intrigued, if nothing else. I had no interest in LABO before this, and VR is generally just too damn expensive, so at $40 I might actually go for it, just to try out VR for once. I definitely want to hear more and especially see some footage, but as others have pointed out, they will never make full games with this, but a few minigames just to play around in might be fun.

It's a waste of money that'll get old after 30 min after you spent hours building it. It's a gimmick and nothing more.
I feel sorry for the people that bought Labo when they could've bought one of the many good great on the system.

VR is just a gimmick, so at least is being dealed in a fair way. Like the little niche it is. And after VirtualBoy, I am happy, nintendo is doing this thing with something really cheap. Nobody want spend too much money in gimmicks.

@TheOpponent Being disabled comes in lots of different forms. Plenty of VR games support people who are in wheelchairs. All VR games support people who have one eye. These are examples that clearly throw off your point.

Also, good VR hardware doesn't cause sickness. That is up to developers. Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean that is what VR is like.

@DartBuzzer The people who aren't able to use VR at all without purging five minutes in are sick of hearing about how great the VR-enabled future is, because they don't get to be a part of it for entirely arbitrary reasons.

@TheOpponent most VR enthusiasts acknowledge that not everyone can jump into a fast paced VR experience right off the bat. I myself had to take my time with PSVR playing walking games before I was ready for running or flying games. I don’t think there’s enough data to say that some people will never be able to play VR, it just needs to be optimized a bit more and people need to take it slowly rather than jumping into something with fast gameplay. Also, just because some people can’t use a certain technology right now doesn’t mean we should just halt it for everyone else.

I've realized recently that describing VR to someone who has never used it is like explaining color to a colorblind person. You can't describe the illusion of presence to someone. Even if I sat here and explained it the best I could, the preconceived notion would still be wildly innacurate. That's the frustration of us VR enthusiasts.

For the same reason, it's why we take words like "gimmicky" with a grain of salt. It is not something you can argue for if you've never tried it. You could play games that are both 3D and motion-controlled on 3DS, and it still wouldn't give you a feasible perception of what VR actually feels like. If you've never played it, your opinion on it is inaccurate, to put it lightly.

The sheer number of people who have never tried a headset, yet have a strong negative opinion against it, is unfair to us.

I think people are really overthinking this. It’s a cheap little amusement that’s clearly meant for kids. No one’s saying it will be a world-class vr set, and I doubt anyone who uses it would be ignorant to that fact and have their opinion of vr in general be somehow tarnished as a result. To expect otherwise relies on some extremely cynical suppositions about consumers as a collective whole.

My biggest concern with Labo VR is that Labo is supposed to encourage its audience to create their own games and toys using the equipment. How are people supposed to create games or toys with the Labo VR software?

VR software on phones tends to use up the battery fairly quickly, so I can’t imagine people playing Metroid Prime 4 in VR or anything. Nintendo would need to provide some fix for this — a longer cord to the wall perhaps? Idk. I don’t buy that we’re going to get anything substantive with these kits. Just a demo disc quality experience...

Took the plunge with PSVR last November on Black Friday. The hardware and tech is certainly cool but the games are extreme hit or miss. On the one hand, my experiences with some that are made with VR in mind were nothing short of magical. Absolute eye-opening, defining moments in my gaming career. These include instant classics like Astro Bot, Moss, and Tetris Effect such really demonstrate what VR did be. On the other hand, ports and shovelware like Skyrim VR etc are absolutely atrocious and I literally couldn't play them for more than 5 minutes.Add always, I feel Nintendo will hit the middle ground like they always do with stuff like this. It won't be great, but it won't be bad either.

It actually looks like something the kiddo will enjoy. He's more of a Nintendo guy (secondarily an Xbox guy) in general but has had some fun with the PS VR, so this will probably be right up his alley.

@impurekind I think the psvr sold about 4 million If it was a premium head set that is compatible with BOTW, Mario Kart and Mario Odyssey (and basically every 3D game) it would out sell the PSVR within a week of release, but because it is a Labo, some people will be specifical

I think this could be good. I don't want to dish out £300 on a headset like PlayStation VR so I think it looks promising. The virtual boy was bad because it was 2 decades too early. So this could be good.

@SBandy It almost comes across like a debating society trying to break down an episode of Dora the Explorer or Teletubbies. It’s amusing the amount of rage grown men get over a child’s learning tool. I might as well get mad over Brio train sets as well as it doesn’t support 00 gauge trains.

@TheOpponent It's genuinely disappointing how short-sighted some people are. It's like you think technology (both hardware and software) doesn't get better or something. People are already figuring ways to make the VR experience less nauseating (both hardware and software solutions), which, by the way, only happens on certain types of VR games and can be avoided entirely in many others, and it has and will continue to get better. You are like some dude who saw only Pong back in the day and dismissed the whole of video games entirely because they were just black and white and way too basic and the vector display hurt his eyes and it wasn't a lot of fun--and that was the end of that. So short-sighted. And the dude that voted you up is just as bad.

It's amazing to me that people think anyone outside of the absolute most hardcore Nintendo faithful would even register this as a blip on the VR radar. It's not gonna have a single effect on the "VR market" good or bad, because it's not substantial enough in any way to have one. That'd be like saying the cheap knockoff Chinese VR headsets in the bargain bins at Walmart have an effect on the VR population. They don't, lol

@TheOpponent From what I'm seeing on here in the comments you're not allowed to be disinterested in VR. I had the hard sell last time I expressed disinterest in it. Even after I kept saying I just don't care and never will.

@WiltonRoots Don't be a apologetic for him. The guy literally said 'VR is trash', 'I'll never do it again', 'I wouldn't wish it on anyone' and then talked about how not a single disabled person on the planet can use it.

The guy is out of his mind, and you seek to normalize that? Get off your high horse. Also, to say you never will care is pretty premature; you don't know if you will or won't. But considering the many useful aspects of VR in society, it's risky to say you'll never use it.

You can dislike VR, but when you're siding with someone that trashes it relentlessly, it just makes you stand out as a really despicable person.

@DartBuzzer it was you giving me the hard sell before. What’s wrong with me not giving a damn about VR? I told you before I don’t care yet you carry on? Give it a rest man. You and Kirk can jog on. We’re all different. I value human interaction too highly.

@WiltonRoots Did I not just say that you can dislike it to your heart's content? The problem is when you start siding with people who bash it without reason.

Imagine if someone started bashing Nintendo or the Switch, saying things like "Switch is trash", "It's the worst thing that's ever happened to gaming"? Not very approachable when it's something more dear to you is it? Siding with trolls and and people like that only puts you on their level.